


Boy Meets Boy

by wordsareleftbehind (froggydarren)



Series: In Another Life [4]
Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-26
Updated: 2013-04-26
Packaged: 2017-12-12 01:05:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/805362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/pseuds/wordsareleftbehind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CrisscolferAUWednesdays<br/>Week #3: theme - game shows</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boy Meets Boy

It was a challenge and he should've said no to it. But of course, Chris was never one to back out of something like that, a fact that his best friend Ashley knew and frequently used against him. Like a few months ago when she got a random email from one of the audition coordinators about a TV appearance. She'd signed up herself, but didn't get through the first round of auditions, unlike Chris, who breezed through those, then got a callback and an offer to appear on the show for an episode.

"Why am I doing this again?" he grumbled in the dressing room, eyeing the tiny mirror on the wall.

"Because it's a job," Ashley deadpanned from the couch she was relaxing on, "and because it might be fun."

"Ash…"

"It's not like it obliges you to kiss anyone or anything more if you do win," she laughed, "and you get a free afternoon with fun stuff and someone who's not me to hang out with."

"I like hanging out with you," Chris rolled his eyes.

"I know, boo, but you also have no other social life."

"Harsh, Fink."

"True though."

Chris couldn't argue with her on that, because really, his friends circle was rather small, especially since Lea moved to New York to try for Broadway. They'd all met during various auditions and stuck with each other since. The only downside to their tight-knit group was that they were all very picky about any potential newcomers.

"It's still…" Chris sighed, "A girl, Ashley? Who do you think I'm going to kid?"

"No one, probably," Ashley shrugged, "but again, no obligation and it'll add on to your resume."

She was one of the few people Chris had come out to when he moved to LA. He lived by himself for a while, but they'd moved in together since, even managing when Lea moved out and really, there was no way he would be able to hide from Ashley. Not because he'd be dating, but she had figured it out before he even plucked up the courage to really talk to his parents. They had known, of course, but it was only with Ashley's encouragement that he sat down with them and talked.

But now, here he was, about to go competing for a date with a girl. It wasn't that it bothered him as much as it was… weird. Because really, he'd seen enough of shows like this to know that sometimes it did work out for the couple and he'd feel awkward if the girl on the other side of the screen got her hopes up.

"Just go out there, be yourself and if she picks you, you might end up with a new friend," Ashley reassured him, "As long as you don't ditch me for a new BFF."

"I don't think I could if I tried," Chris finally laughed and relaxed a little.

Ashley nudged him out the door when the PA passed by and let him know he had two minutes to get to the stage. The boys were in a separate area so that they weren't seen before the screen went up. Chris stood awkwardly to the side and eyed his "competition" with curiosity. One was a run-of-the-mill jock-ish type who didn't stand out in the slightest, at least not to Chris. The other, though, most definitely caught Chris' eye in a way that had him catch his breath.

The guy had the most unruly head of dark curls that Chris had ever seen, each curl bouncing back immediately after the guy pulled on it. He was about Chris' height and didn't look overly sporty and he was wearing glasses with dark frames, though he was currently exchanging them for contacts. Chris tried to focus enough to figure out the color of the guy's eyes, but quickly looked away when he was caught staring. Before he could get himself into any trouble for looking a little too closely at someone who was supposed to be vying for the attention of the same girl Chris was meant to charm with only his answers, they were led to the stage, in front of the audience and under the spotlights.

_"What is the last book you read, and did you enjoy it?"_

It began with simple enough questions that each of them had to answer. Chris rolled his eyes at the generic crime book that was guy number 3's answer and followed it up with his own not glowing one word review of the recent Royal Family biography he'd read and then couldn't help but smirk at the curly haired guy's fanboying over Harry Potter, which apparently he'd re-read.

_"You are driving and get lost, what do you do and how do you handle it?"_

Chris thought for a second about his answer and then shrugged, answering simply that he'd ask for directions because what was the point stalling?

"I'd keep driving," came the answer from the curly man, _Darren_ , as Chris finally managed to catch on the screens on the side of the stage displaying what the cameras were capturing, "you never know if something isn't meant to be the next big adventure, why not take a chance?"

He was definitely intriguing, more so with every question they'd answered and Chris found himself listening more attentively to Darren's answers than to even the questions, let alone Number 3's predictable replies or the game master's commentary.

_"What profession involving a level of fame do you think Number 1 could have?"_

They got to the questions they were supposed to answer about one of the other guys and Chris had just answered with "football player" about Generic Guy. Now Darren was asked about him and Chris froze up, wondering what the guess would be.

"I think he could be a model, big time, Paris runway, front page of Vogue kind of model."

Their eyes met and Chris didn't miss the spark in Darren's gaze. It shocked him, because he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being flirted with.

_"If Number 2 could be a circus performer, which act would he be?"_

"The clown," slipped from Chris' lips in response to the question about Darren before he could stop and think about it, then his brain caught on and he quickly added, "he looks like someone who could easily make everyone laugh and he'd probably enjoy that."

Blush creeping into his face, Chris carefully turned to Darren, expecting anger in the man's face. But he was only met with an amused smirk and no trace of being offended. Chris breathed out in relief and returned his features into his "game face", pleasant but not showing too much.

The decision time came and Chris wasn't even remotely surprised when the girl picked uninteresting Generic Guy whose name Chris couldn't even remember. He slipped off stage with a quick kiss on the cheek to her and headed for his dressing room, wanting to find Ashley then get cleaned up and out of the studio.

"Chris?" a voice rang out behind him just as he put his hand on the handle of his dressing room door.

He turned and froze as the one calling out to him was none other than Darren, eyes bright and smile big enough to make Chris almost swoon.

"Oh hi," Chris managed to compose himself enough to answer, "Darren, is it?"

"Yeah," the curls bounced as Darren nodded.

"Commiserations on the loss," Chris smirked, lost for anything else to say and wondering why Darren was there, talking to him.

The response was a relaxed shrug, "No harm done, though the Six Flags would've been nice for the day," Darren grinned, "I could imagine better company, though."

_Is he flirting with me?_

Chris' mind was going a mile a minute, trying to stay composed and not show too much how confused the conversation was making him.

"OK, I'll pre-empt this with apologizing if I'm getting things wrong here," Darren continued talking when Chris couldn't get a coherent word out, "But I was wondering and I'm totally assuming here, but I couldn't help but notice and I really think you're cute and I'm really hoping I'm right with my assumption and…"

Darren rambled on and Chris felt himself relax and let it show in his face that he found the flustered talking more than just a little endearing.

"Darren," he stopped the blushing man, "You assumed right. That's if you thought I really would not have any interest in a hot date or anything like that with the _girl_ in that room."

"Oh," Darren paused and the relief was clear in his face, "OK, so this will be a lot less awkward than if I'd been wrong. That's not to say it won't be awkward at all, but," he took a breath and looked at Chris with anticipation, "Would you be opposed to meeting for coffee someday?"

Chris couldn't stop the gasp that escaped his lips and echoed across the corridor.

"It's fine if you don't want to, I just…"

"Darren?" Chris stopped the rambling before Darren could even start properly, "I would… I'd really like that."

They both blushed and smiled, then Darren asked for Chris' phone number and excused himself, walking away with a little bounce that Chris couldn't help but giggle at. When Darren disappeared out of sight, Chris almost fell into the dressing room where Ashley was holding out a drink to commiserate with him on the loss.

"Ash?" Chris was still feeling the heat in his cheeks from the blushing, "Ash, I think I got a date out of this."

Before Ashley could do anything beyond giving him a shocked glance, Chris could see his phone that he'd left on the coffee table earlier light up with a text message. He picked it up and a smile tugged on the corner of his mouth.

_'So, since presuming went so well for me, can I presume asking for out date to be tonight isn't too soon? Darren x'_

_'Presume away. As long as the circus isn't in town and we're not going there only for you to join them and run away…'_

_'No running away. I'd love to be the one to make you laugh, though.'_

Chris sat down next to Ashley and smiled. Maybe not being able to resist a challenge from her was not such a bad thing after all.


End file.
